Top eight Black Ops II teams chosen for Call of Duty Championship

The top eight Black Ops II teams for next month's first-ever Call of Duty Championship have been chosen. After a season of Champions Series League Play, teams Rage, Vintage, Phoenix, Curse, Quantic, compLexity, and Awe Sports emerged as the top squads that will compete in the $1 million tournament April 5-7 in Hollywood, California.

These teams will be joined by an additional 24 squads from around the world. The Electronic Sports League's European Championship will draw eight teams from Europe, and the Australian Cyber League will choose the best two squads from Australia and New Zealand.

In addition, qualifying events will be held in South America and Asia to round out the group.

The Call of Duty Championship was announced last month and is being sponsored in part by Microsoft. It will be held at the Hollywood Palladium theater.

According to Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia, eSports integration has been an "integral" part of Black Ops II since the company began development on the game. For more on the Call of Duty Championship, check out the video below.